Bonding
by gladysnotw
Summary: James Bond was always a ladies man. Little did he know that his carelessness him landed him with a daughter that he didn't even know existed until she showed up in front of him, literally. Nothing seems to make sense, especially when she has a group of thugs after her, claiming that they have unfinished business.
1. Another Bond

"GO, GO!" Bond yelled, driving through the city streets.

He was yelling for innocent people to run. They had scattered the streets of London as he was trying to drive through without hitting anybody. People were screaming and running everywhere.

"Oh, bloody hell. _Move!"_ he yelled.

Cars stopped and crashed into each other. He drove and drove, trying to catch the dark blue car in front of him. They had stolen some files from headquarters and he was ordered to get them back by M, the new M, anyway.

Suddenly, the dark blue car ceased to a halt and turned harshly. It crashed into a large planter and the chase had ended. Bond climbed out of his car, holding a gun in his hand.

He approached the driver's side and saw that they were unconscious. He dragged the driver out as more agents arrived to arrest him. Bond looked out onto the street, wondering what caused the crash. Q stood by him, adjusting his glasses.

"Glad to see you got the files back." he said.

Bond nodded and kept staring.

"But, you seem troubled." Q added.

"Two questions remain: Why are you here? And, how did the car crash occur?"

Q observed the street and saw no signs of what might've caused the crash.

"To answer your first question, I'm here to help clean up this mess. Secondly, perhaps the driver took his eyes off for a moment." he suggested.

Bond shook his head. "This man was trained."

"Everyone makes mistakes." Q said.

"Not his type of people."

Q shrugged. "Someone got in his way?"

"That wouldn't stop him. He'd have run them over."

"I'll hack into the London Security System and see if I can find some footage of this street. It'll show us what happened if it bothers you so much."

"And M?" Bond asked.

Q smiled. "He doesn't have to know, if you wish."

"That's exactly what I wish."

They climbed into Bond's car and drove back to headquarters. Q brought Bond into his workplace and looked up the footage of crash, which appeared in a very large screen.

Bond squinted as he watched. The crowd scattered as they saw the cars approaching. Q also watched as he kept his finger on the freeze button. As the tape played, it showed a young girl walk into the street.

She wore a simple black coat and had a purse on her shoulder. She dragged into the purse and pulled out a handgun. Bond grimaced but kept watching.

The girl aimed at the dark blue car and the car stopped and crashed into the planter. Bond pointed at the screen.

"There, go back a bit."

Q rewinded and Bond got closer to the screen.

"Stop."

The footage paused and Bond stated at the girl. She looked a bit familiar but he couldn't exactly make out who she was.

"Well, Mr. Bond, it turns out I was right." Q smirked.

"That appears to be seen, but who is she?" Bond asked.

"She seems a bit familiar. I'll do my best in searching for her."

"Try to see if she has some connection with the man who stole the files."

Q nodded. "Right away."

Bond stared at the screen, puzzled. He needed a drink.

"I'll be at the rooftop bar. It's just a few blocks down from the crash sight." Bond said, leaving the room.

"I'll call if I find anything." Q said.

* * *

Bond sat at the bar with his martini in hand. It was his third but he could still see clearly, so he didn't complain.

He stared at the busy city below as the night had begun. Laughter could be heard from inside the bar and the smell of cigars filled the air. This was his world.

He sipped his martini and paused when he heard a voice. A young girl. He looked down at the street and his heart stopped.

It was the girl from the footage. She roamed the streets, asking for directions.

"Excuse me but could you tell me where I might find the secret organization in London?" she asked.

Couples shooed her away and many laughed at her.

"I'm looking for a James Bond." she said.

Bond left his tip for the waiter and hurried out of the bar. He pushed a few people out of his way, trying to find the girl.

He ran down the sidewalk, looking for her until his phone rang.

"Yes? What is it, Q?" he asked, panting.

"You're not going to believe what I found out. Why are you out of breath?" Q asked.

"I'm in pursuit of the girl. I spotted her outside of the bar. What is it?" Bond asked, impatiently.

"Oh, well, I think you should listen before you speak to her, sir. It's best if-"

"For the love of God, spit it out!"

Bond spotted the girl through the crowd. She looked in his direction and her eyes widened.

"Sir? Sir, can you hear me?" Q asked.

The girl rushed towards him. Bond reached into his jacket, clutching his gun. The girl hurried over to him, smiling.

She appeared to be no older than 19. Her hair was short and brown. She finally stood before him and bit her lip.

"Sir? Sir, can you hear me?"

Bond hung up and stared at the girl in the middle of London.

"Who the bloody hell are you?"

"Lily. And, you are James Bond, correct?" she asked.

He stated at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm your daughter."

Bond's phone rang and he slowly answered.

"Yes?"

"Sir, are you alright? What happened?" Q asked.

"Nothing. What did you find out?"

"Right, well, you won't believe this, but the girl is actually your daughter!"

Bond stared at the girl. "She is not."

"Sir? Sir, what are you doing?"

Bond hung up and stepped towards Lily. "Let's go somewhere to talk."

She followed as he led her into an empty alley. He turned to look at her and glanced at her purse.

"What's in the bag?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Nothing. Just a few things I like to-"

He yanked her purse away and took out the gun he had earlier.

"Nothing?" he asked.

She stood and said nothing. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. Then, he pushed her against the wall, where her cheek pressed against it. She cringed as he twisted her arm.

"Who are you working for?" he demanded.

"I don't work for anyone. I just came to-"

"To find me? Why? To kill me?"

"What? No, I was trying to find you. You're my-"

He pressed his gun behind her neck. "Don't lie to me!"

She shut her eyes. "I swear I am not."

"Do you want to get shot? Tell me who you're working for!" he barked.

She let out a sob. "Please...please, I don't work for anyone! I don't work for-"

"Bond!"

James turned and saw Q approaching them. He ran up to them, gasping for breath.

"She's telling the truth. Let her go." Q panted.

"What did you find?" Bond demanded.

Q held out his hands in front of him. "Just let her go, and I'll tell you. Honestly, what's gotten into you?"

Bond stared at Q for a moment. Then, he let Lily go, but grabbed her by the arm.

"What did you find?" Bond asked again.

"I tracked her down by her face. She was particularly difficult to locate, so I found nothing on her past. But, while I was looking up information on her, I couldn't stop thinking that she looked familiar."

Bond shut his eyes in annoyance. "And?"

"Yes, well, I noticed that...she has your eyes. So, I finally came across her name. Then, I looked up her hospital records and looked into her blood and yours. Lo and behold, there's a match."

Lily looked back at Bond, who had released her arm. He staggered a bit and put his gun away.

"That's not possible." he whispered.

Lily spoke up. "Oh, believe it or not, it is. The head of the orphanage told me that mum told her that the man who slept with her was quite a gentleman."

"Who's your mother?" Bond asked.

Lily shrugged. "The head of the orphanage said my mother dropped me off without leaving a name. Although, with a history like yours, she could be anyone."

Q chuckled a bit. "Well, she definitely has your sarcastic attitude."

Bond shook his head and placed his hands on Lily's shoulder. "Listen, Nelly-"

"Lily." she and Q said in unison.

"Whatever. I am an agent that's been working for a huge and secret organization for years. And, I don't have the time or, dare I say, the patience to be taking care of a child I've never met."

Lily frowned and pushed him away. "Of course. You've got to do more important things like save the world. How foolish of me, your own child, to come looking for you."

Bond stared at her. She gave him a cold look, folding her arms. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Bond? Come in, this is M."

Bond pressed his finger to his earpiece and turned away.

"This is Bond, what is it?"

"Where in God's name are you? There's been talk of an organization looking for some girl. Apparently, she's leading them to you."

Bond looked back at Lily who was speaking with Q. He turned away to continue with M.

"No need to worry. I have the girl. And, she'll have a lot of talking to do."

"Bring her back to headquarters as soon as possible. She's dangerous."

Bond looked back at Lily and approached her.

"Who was it?" Q asked.

Before he could reply, Bond wrapped his arms around Lily and pulled her away.

She screamed. "Get off me! What are you-"

He covered her mouth with his hand and looked back at Q.

"Don't just stand there! Grab her legs and get her in the car!"

Q was hesitant but obeyed. Lily struggled and kicked but she was no match.

"Why the bloody hell are you doing this?" Q asked, as they approached the car.

"Open the door!" Bond demanded.

Q hurried and opened the back door. Bond got inside the back, dragging Lily along with him. Q shut the door and got the driver's seat.

"Headquarters! Go now!" Bond said, as Q started the car.

He hit the gas pedal and they stormed through the streets.

Bond took out his gun and aimed against Lily's cheek.

"Who are you working for? Tell me now!" he demanded.

"I'm not working for anyone! I already told-"

"Don't lie to me!" he yelled.

"I swear!"

"Tell me or else-"

A gunshot was heard as a bullet crashed through the front window. Q ducked and screamed.

"Hang on!" he said, slamming the gas pedal.

Bond and Lily held on and he continued questioning her.

"They're onto us! Tell me who sent you!" he demanded.

"You're barking mad! No one ever sent me!"

Another shot was fired but it missed the car. Q yelled at people to make way as they speeded through the streets.

"Bond, what do we do?" he asked, aloud from the chaos.

"Keep driving! Just get us to headquarters!"

"Are you mental? With all these goons out tail?"

"I'll deal with the bloody goons."

Bond turned around and faced the back window. A group of motorcyclists were behind then, holding guns. Bond aimed his and fired several times.

Lily covered her ears and ducked down. Glass shattered everywhere as Bond kept firing.

Q adjusted his glasses as he tried to keep the car steady. Lily turned to look out of the back window.

Bond shoved her head down. "Get down!"

"Who are they?" she asked.

"Friends of yours, I assume." he said, reloading.

She grimaced as the car made a sudden turn.

"Almost there!" Q said from the front.

Bond turned and continued shooting. Lily took out her own gun and Bond noticed. He snatched it from her and pressed it against her cheek. She shut her eyes and put her hands up.

"Trying to shoot me? Is that what you're doing?" Bond yelled.

"I was just trying to help!" she cried.

"My blood or not, I'll gladly spill it all right now!"

"Why don't you just shoot the goons behind you, you bloody pillock!" she scolded.

He looked back as the motorcyclists fired at them. He ducked down and got ready to fire back.

He looked towards the front window and got an idea.

"Q, park by that museum!"

Q grimaced. "You want to see some fine art before you get us all killed?"

He parked the car and they all climbed out. Bond held onto Lily's arm as they hurried into the museum. Bond looked over his shoulder and saw the motorcyclists stopping as well. They removed their helmets and hurried after them.

The museum was beautiful, but they had no time to be in awe of it. They blended with the crowd and Bond glanced at Q.

"Take her out through the back and get a can to headquarters. I'll make sure they don't follow you." he whispered.

Then, he handed Q his gun. Q nodded and motioned for Lily to follow him. They walked through the crowd and managed to find an emergency exit.

"Wait." Lily said.

"What? We've gotta move." Q said.

Lily spotted a smoke detector and smirked.

"Let's give him some time to ditch those goons."

Q followed her gaze. He took off his glasses and smiled.

"Good thing I installed the computer chip into my glasses which will give off a laser beam when I hold it like-"

"Just do it!"

Bond stood in the crowd as the goons stormed in. They split up and walked through the crowd, looking for him.

Suddenly, an alarm went off and the sprinklers on the ceiling went off, spraying the entire crowd.

Women screamed and weren't sure whether to protect their make up of their hair. The museum looked like it was filled with a colony of ants, scattering and running around.

Bond lost track of the goons. He hurried through the crowd and tried to keep up with Q and Lily.

They stood at the edge of the sidewalk, trying to catch a cab.

"Taxi!" Q called.

One stopped in front of them an they climbed in.

"Just a few blocks down and you'll see LongWater Street. That's our stop." Q said to the driver.

"But what about my father?" Lily asked, glancing out the window.

"He'll make it back." Q said as they drove off.

"How can you know that?"

"I just know him well enough."

Bond, did indeed, make it out of the museum. He adjusted his tie and walked across the street, hoping to catch a cab. He cursed under his breath for leaving his car at the rooftop bar for it to be towed the next morning.

As he walked down the sidewalk, a man stood in his way. He stopped and they stared at each other. The man was around his early 50's with green eyes and a bit attractive for a man his age.

His hair was black and neatly combed. He wore a frock that went down to his knees and smoked a cigar.

"Ah, Mr. Bond, it's an honor to meet you." he said, with a bit of a raspy voice.

"I'd like to share that honor, sir. You are?" Bond asked.

"My name is merely Bastian Duplin. I was wondering if you could help me. You see, my men and I are looking for a young girl. She stole something from me and I'd really like to have it back in my possesion." the man replied, hands in his pockets.

"And, what did she take from you. If you don't mind me asking, of course."

Duplin smirked. "My heart."


	2. The Chase

_Gone, love is never gone_

Q and Lily approached headquarters. He turned to her suddenly and cleared his throat.

"Uh, this is a top secret agency, so I'm going to have to blindfold you before we go in."

Lily grimaced. "O-kay."

He chuckled. "I'm only joking. Come on, let's hurry."

She followed and entered. The building was massive. Agents walked everywhere, holding briefcases and wearing tuxes.

"Are we in the right place?" Lily asked.

Q adjusted his glasses. "Yes, why?"

"Are all agents required to wear suits? The lot of them are wearing one."

"That's an excellent question. Come on, in here."

They walked into an elevator and Q pressed the button to go to the top floor. They stood in silence until Lily spoke up.

"I'm not plotting against him. I really am here to find him, my father."

Q smiled. "I know."

She raised both eyebrows. "You do?"

"Yeah, you don't seem like the plotting type. Just out of curiosity, how'd you know Bond was a spy? And where to find him?"

"He's left his mark in a few places."

"Ah. Why carry a gun?"

She shrugged. "When you discover your father's a spy, it felt necessary to have one on me. Never know how many goons can pop up."

The elevator stopped and they walked out. He led her across a hall and towards a door at the end of it. He knocked before he opened.

"Come in."

Q cleared his throat an opened the door. He motioned for Lily to walk and she did. It was a medium size office with a man sitting at a desk.

He was sitting in a chair, hands folded. He stared at Lily and stood up.

"Is this the girl?" he asked Q.

"Yes, sir."

Lily glanced at Q. "He was...expecting me?"

The man chuckled. "Indeed. You've got quite a name for yourself, my dear."

Lily blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Close the door, Q."

Q obeyed and stood in front of the door. The man approached Lily and scanned her from head to toe.

"Now, I want you to be a good girl and tell us why you were looking for Bond." he said.

Lily groaned. "For God's sake, pay attention because I'm really tired of explaining this twice."

Q raised his eyebrows and side-smiled. "Got quite an attitude. Seem familiar, M?"

M gave Q a look and looked back at Lily. "Continue."

"I was orphaned as a child an left without any of my parents names. When I turned 17, I ran away and tried to make my way in the world. One day, at a bar, I heard someone say that I reminded them of a constant customer of his. Bond, was the customer."

M glance at Q who shrugged. M grabbed a mug of tea on his desk and drank.

"I set out to look for this Bond character. Lo and behold, here we are. Janes Bond is my father."

M spit out the tea in his mouth and coughed. Lily rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"It's true, sir. I ran a blood test. She's Bond's daughter." Q defended.

Lily turned to look at him and he gave her a wink. M put his mug down and wiped his mouth.

"Daughter or not, that doesn't explain why those goons were after you tonight." M said.

"What is wrong with you people? Honestly, you think everyone's trying to kill you."

"They were after you and we believe it's because you're leading them to Bond." M said, ignoring her.

Lily's jaw dropped. "He's my father, for God's sake! Can you not hear me?"

"Where is he, then? Q?" M asked, looking at Q.

He stuttered. "Uh, well, sir, he told us to run ahead and take a cab here. He said he would be right-"

The door behind him opened and Bond stepped inside. He glanced at M and gave a curt nod.

"Behind us." Q finished, relieved.

"007, what news of the men who were after you?" M asked.

"I spoke with one of them, sir. He appears to be their leader."

Lily grimaced. "007?"

M cleared his throat. "You didn't get a name?"

"Duplin. Bastian Duplin, sir."

Lily's eyes looked as though they'd seen a ghost. Bond glanced at her and she looked away.

M glanced at her. "Ring a bell?"

She swallowed. "No."

M raised an eyebrow and looked back at Bond.

"We'll look up the name and see what his play is. Escort the girl to one of our safe houses, Q. Bond, stay."

Q motioned for Lily to follow him and she did. They left the room and Bond closed the door.

"Who's the woman we have to thank for bringing that girl into the world?" M asked, placing his hands on his desk.

Bond stared at the floor but did not cower. "That remains to be unknown, sir."

M chuckled. "You really are a man of surprises. I want her on the next available train, boat, plane, I don't care, out of London in the morning. Is that understood?"

Bond nodded. "Yes, sir."

M raised an eyebrow. "No lament for your only child? You know that you'll never see her again if she leaves, don't you?"

"I'm fully aware, sir. Is that all you wished to speak with me of?"

M walked towards the window and looked out at the city. "No. This Duplin character, if he's leading this whole mission after you-"

"He's not exactly after me, sir."

M looked over his shoulder. "Oh? Did happen to mention who or what he was after?"

Bond swallowed and shook his head. "No, sir. But, I think it's clear that if he were after me, he would've captured me tonight."

M nodded. "Yes. He must be after the girl. How is it that he happens to be in London when she arrives? He must be after her. Wouldn't you agree?"

"It seems to be the only logical theory, but we'll have to know for sure. I'll head back to the data room with Q and we'll track this man down."

"You do that. Notify the moment you find something."

Bond turned and held out his hand to grab the doorknob. He froze when he heard rapid footsteps from the other side. He waited a moment and turned the doorknob, opening the door.

Across the hall, he spotted an elevator with Q staring back at him with wide eyes before it closed.

"That was too close." Lily sighed as she leaned back against the wall.

Q shook his head and rubbed his temples. "Why did I even listen to you?"

"What? Did you think they were going to plan they're next blind date? They were going to tall about me like I'm a child. I may be 17, but I'm old enough to share what I think is right for myself."

The elevator dinged and Q led the way out. He led her across a rather fancy hallway. The carpet was ruby red and there were small tables hiding vases.

It looked like a hotel hallway. He opened a door and entered with her. It really looked like a hotel room! The room was glorious and beautiful.

"This is...are we in the right room?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Q smiled. "Indeed we are, madam. Your coat."

He held out his arm and bowed. She giggled and shook her head.

"Well, don't expect a tip." she said, looking around the room.

"I should head back." Q said.

"Already?"

He grimaced and blushed.

"Well, I mean...aren't you tired? Are they going to have you working at this hour?" she asked, rubbing her arm.

Q shrugged. "It's all part of the job. It isn't as ad as you think."

"You take your job seriously, then."

"Of course."

She lowered her eyes and side-smiled. "I can see why he's stayed here all these years."

She placed her hand on the marble kitchen counter and sighed. "They look to him like a...real hero."

Q nodded. "He's not always here, though. Mostly he's out, you know, saving the world. It's quite the career."

They both shared an amused smile but Lily frowned. "I bet. It must be a comforting feeling, knowing that you'll come here everyday and see him. You know that he'll always be there when you call."

Q felt a shed of guilt. "Yes. But, you-"

"Don't." she said, staring into his eyes. "It's not your fault."

"Nor is it yours."

He stared at her and quickly clears his throat.

"Forgive me. I need to...you know."

She nodded. "Yes, goodbye. Don't work too hard, it's been a long night."

They shared a soft smile and he opened the door, leaving her alone. But, he felt he should stay with her. She must've been so alone all those years without a family. He stood at her door for a few minutes and swore he heard quiet sobbing, coming from the inside of the room.

"Hang in there." he whispered.

Then, he turned on his heel and headed to the data room.


	3. His Flower

Q and Lily approached headquarters. He turned to her suddenly and cleared his throat.

"Uh, this is a top secret agency, so I'm going to have to blindfold you before we go in."

Lily grimaced. "O-kay."

He chuckled. "I'm only joking. Come on, let's hurry."

She followed and entered. The building was massive. Agents walked everywhere, holding briefcases and wearing tuxes.

"Are we in the right place?" Lily asked.

Q adjusted his glasses. "Yes, why?"

"Are all agents required to wear suits? The lot of them are wearing one."

"That's an excellent question. Come on, in here."

They walked into an elevator and Q pressed the button to go to the top floor. They stood in silence until Lily spoke up.

"I'm not plotting against him. I really am here to find him, my father."

Q smiled. "I know."

She raised both eyebrows. "You do?"

"Yeah, you don't seem like the plotting type. Just out of curiosity, how'd you know Bond was a spy? And where to find him?"

"He's left his mark in a few places."

"Ah. Why carry a gun?"

She shrugged. "When you discover your father's a spy, it felt necessary to have one on me. Never know how many goons can pop up."

The elevator stopped and they walked out. He led her across a hall and towards a door at the end of it. He knocked before he opened.

"Come in."

Q cleared his throat an opened the door. He motioned for Lily to walk and she did. It was a medium size office with a man sitting at a desk.

He was sitting in a chair, hands folded. He stared at Lily and stood up.

"Is this the girl?" he asked Q.

"Yes, sir."

Lily glanced at Q. "He was...expecting me?"

The man chuckled. "Indeed. You've got quite a name for yourself, my dear."

Lily blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Close the door, Q."

Q obeyed and stood in front of the door. The man approached Lily and scanned her from head to toe.

"Now, I want you to be a good girl and tell us why you were looking for Bond." he said.

Lily groaned. "For God's sake, pay attention because I'm really tired of explaining this twice."

Q raised his eyebrows and side-smiled. "Got quite an attitude. Seem familiar, M?"

M gave Q a look and looked back at Lily. "Continue."

"I was orphaned as a child an left without any of my parents names. When I turned 17, I ran away and tried to make my way in the world. One day, at a bar, I heard someone say that I reminded them of a constant customer of his. Bond, was the customer."

M glance at Q who shrugged. M grabbed a mug of tea on his desk and drank.

"I set out to look for this Bond character. Lo and behold, here we are. Janes Bond is my father."

M spit out the tea in his mouth and coughed. Lily rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"It's true, sir. I ran a blood test. She's Bond's daughter." Q defended.

Lily turned to look at him and he gave her a wink. M put his mug down and wiped his mouth.

"Daughter or not, that doesn't explain why those goons were after you tonight." M said.

"What is wrong with you people? Honestly, you think everyone's trying to kill you."

"They were after you and we believe it's because you're leading them to Bond." M said, ignoring her.

Lily's jaw dropped. "He's my father, for God's sake! Can you not hear me?"

"Where is he, then? Q?" M asked, looking at Q.

He stuttered. "Uh, well, sir, he told us to run ahead and take a cab here. He said he would be right-"

The door behind him opened and Bond stepped inside. He glanced at M and gave a curt nod.

"Behind us." Q finished, relieved.

"007, what news of the men who were after you?" M asked.

"I spoke with one of them, sir. He appears to be their leader."

Lily grimaced. "007?"

M cleared his throat. "You didn't get a name?"

"Duplin. Bastian Duplin, sir."

Lily's eyes looked as though they'd seen a ghost. Bond glanced at her and she looked away.

M glanced at her. "Ring a bell?"

She swallowed. "No."

M raised an eyebrow and looked back at Bond.

"We'll look up the name and see what his play is. Escort the girl to one of our safe houses, Q. Bond, stay."

Q motioned for Lily to follow him and she did. They left the room and Bond closed the door.

"Who's the woman we have to thank for bringing that girl into the world?" M asked, placing his hands on his desk.

Bond stared at the floor but did not cower. "That remains to be unknown, sir."

M chuckled. "You really are a man of surprises. I want her on the next available train, boat, plane, I don't care, out of London in the morning. Is that understood?"

Bond nodded. "Yes, sir."

M raised an eyebrow. "No lament for your only child? You know that you'll never see her again if she leaves, don't you?"

"I'm fully aware, sir. Is that all you wished to speak with me of?"

M walked towards the window and looked out at the city. "No. This Duplin character, if he's leading this whole mission after you-"

"He's not exactly after me, sir."

M looked over his shoulder. "Oh? Did happen to mention who or what he was after?"

Bond swallowed and shook his head. "No, sir. But, I think it's clear that if he were after me, he would've captured me tonight."

M nodded. "Yes. He must be after the girl. How is it that he happens to be in London when she arrives? He must be after her. Wouldn't you agree?"

"It seems to be the only logical theory, but we'll have to know for sure. I'll head back to the data room with Q and we'll track this man down."

"You do that. Notify the moment you find something."

Bond turned and held out his hand to grab the doorknob. He froze when he heard rapid footsteps from the other side. He waited a moment and turned the doorknob, opening the door.

Across the hall, he spotted an elevator with Q staring back at him with wide eyes before it closed.

"That was too close." Lily sighed as she leaned back against the wall.

Q shook his head and rubbed his temples. "Why did I even listen to you?"

"What? Did you think they were going to plan they're next blind date? They were going to tall about me like I'm a child. I may be 17, but I'm old enough to share what I think is right for myself."

The elevator dinged and Q led the way out. He led her across a rather fancy hallway. The carpet was ruby red and there were small tables hiding vases.

It looked like a hotel hallway. He opened a door and entered with her. It really looked like a hotel room! The room was glorious and beautiful.

"This is...are we in the right room?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Q smiled. "Indeed we are, madam. Your coat."

He held out his arm and bowed. She giggled and shook her head.

"Well, don't expect a tip." she said, looking around the room.

"I should head back." Q said.

"Already?"

He grimaced and blushed.

"Well, I mean...aren't you tired? Are they going to have you working at this hour?" she asked, rubbing her arm.

Q shrugged. "It's all part of the job. It isn't as ad as you think."

"You take your job seriously, then."

"Of course."

She lowered her eyes and side-smiled. "I can see why he's stayed here all these years."

She placed her hand on the marble kitchen counter and sighed. "They look to him like a...real hero."

Q nodded. "He's not always here, though. Mostly he's out, you know, saving the world. It's quite the career."

They both shared an amused smile but Lily frowned. "I bet. It must be a comforting feeling, knowing that you'll come here everyday and see him. You know that he'll always be there when you call."

Q felt a shed of guilt. "Yes. But, you-"

"Don't." she said, staring into his eyes. "It's not your fault."

"Nor is it yours."

He stared at her and quickly clears his throat.

"Forgive me. I need to...you know."

She nodded. "Yes, goodbye. Don't work too hard, it's been a long night."

They shared a soft smile and he opened the door, leaving her alone. But, he felt he should stay with her. She must've been so alone all those years without a family. He stood at her door for a few minutes and swore he heard quiet sobbing, coming from the inside of the room.

"Hang in there." he whispered.

Then, he turned on his heel and headed to the data room.

* * *

"Tired?" Bond asked.

Q shook his head and yawned. "No, no. Well, a bit. But, I'll be alright."

"So, what have you found?"

Q typed and stared at the computer. He shook his head with a sigh.

"Just as expected, nothing."

Bond nodded. "Of course. He'd never give us his real name but it was a start."

Q nodded. "Right. I'll stay here and keep trying to find some kind of connection. Lily's in the safe-house, third door on your right."

Bond adjusted his sleeve. "Let me know if you find something. Think I'll get some target practice."

Q blinked as Bond headed towards the door. "O-kay. Lily's in the safe-house, third door on your right."

Bond paused as his hand was on the doorknob. He looked over his shoulder at Q.

"Spectacular. I'll be at the shooting cages."

Q frowned. "What is the matter with you? Don't you care that your daughter is here? Has that yet occurred to you?"

Bond stared at Q, grimacing. "I can clearly see that it's occurred to YOU."

Q looked away and shook his head. "Maybe it's better this way."

"How?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't even care about her now if you didn't before." Q said, looking back at his computer.

"I didn't even know she existed."

Q shrugged as he typed. "Doesn't really make a difference, does it? You still don't care."

Q stared at his computer until he heard the door open and close. He peaked and saw that Bond was gone.

"How thick can you get?" he asked, shaking his head.

Bond straightened his tie as he took the elevator to the safe-house. It dinged and he stepped out.

Third door on the right.

He stood in front of the door and closed his eyes. Slowly, he reached up his hand and knocked.

Nothing. He leaned against the door, listening for some movement. Quickly, he pulled away when he heard footsteps. A pause and the door opened a crack.

Lily's blue eye peaked and he saw her frown. "Yes?"

He tried to find the right words. Why was he even there?

"I...are you...sleeping?" he asked, stuttering.

"I must be because there's no bloody way in Hell that you're at my door right now."

He licked his lower lip. "May I come in?"

"Why? Did you leave your jacket when you walked me up here?"

He grimaced. "I don't-"

"Oh, right. You didn't walk me up here." she said, mockingly surprised.

He began to get frustrated. "Would you just let me in, please?"

She opened the door and he stepped inside. He stood in the living room and saw that she was still wearing the same clothes she has earlier.

She stared at him as she sat on the couch. "Well, sit down."

He awkwardly took his seat an cleared his throat. "Aren't you uncomfortable in those clothes?"

"Yes, but I figured Q was too busy to offer me room service. So I just dealt with it."

He nodded. "So..."

"Look, if you're here to set some ground rules or make some sort of name for yourself, leave. I'm tired, it's late, I already have a name for you and it's not very appealing." she raised, rubbing her temples.

He shook his head. "No, no, I'm not here to...do any of those things. I just...I don't really know, honestly."

He stared at the carpet and sighed.

"Since you've got nothing to talk about, can I ask you something?"

He seemed to brighten up and he nodded. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell him? Your chief."

"Tell him what?"

"About me and Duplin."

He looked at her and gave a small shrug. He wasn't entirely sure himself.

"So, you do know something about him."

"I know that you shouldn't be dealing with him. He's a monster." she said, looking terrified.

"Who is he? How do you know him?"

She shook her head and stood up. "I should go. It was stupid of me to come here. He'll find me."

Bond stood up and grabbed her arm. "Sit down and answer me."

"I shouldn't have come here. Let go of me."

"Tell me about Duplin."

"Stop it!"

He grabbed her other arm and shook her. "Answer me! What do you know about Duplin?"

She shut her eyes and struggled against his grip. "No, please, just forget him. Forget me!"

"Lily!" he yelled.

She stopped struggling and he stared at her. He hadn't called her by her name before. The sound was more beautiful and precious to her than the finest tune or melody in the world.

"Say it again. My name." she said, quietly.

His mouth was slightly open. "Lily."

He released her arms and they stood in silence. She rubbed her arm and tuck of piece of hair behind her ear.

"I can help you, but there's only handful of people we can trust about this." she said, quietly.

Bond stared at her. "I'll call Q up here and we'll leave from there tonight. I'll contact M when we-"

"No, we can't tell him." she said, quickly.

Bond grimaced. "Why?"

"He's hasty. I don't like him. There's just-"

"He's basically my boss. I must inform him."

Lily sighed and shrugged. "Do whatever you bloody want, but sending the army won't do anything."

"We have to leave. But, you must answer me something."

She gave him a questioning look.

"Why is he after you? Does he know that we're...related?"

"I do not know if he's aware that you're my father. But, it's a long story and we don't have the time to tell it now. We have to go."

"Fair enough. But, you will explain this whole thing."

She nodded and they hurried out of the room together. He led the way to the elevator and they climbed in to find Q. When they reached the data room, Q raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Taking a nice stroll?" he asked, typing.

"We need to move. She says the goons from earlier are after her." Bond ordered.

Q grimaced. "They're coming here? But, they break in. I mean, it's not like they're going to walk through the front-"

An alarm went off and they all jumped. Q quickly typed up something and the security footage came up. Several men rushed in with rifles and began shooting. Lily covered her mouth as several agents fell dead to the shots. Bond also watched in horror and glanced at Q.

"Move, now!" he yelled.

"Right, then." Q breathed, stuffing his laptop into a satchel.

Bond hurried to a phone and heard no dial tone. "Blast it."

He reached up to his ear and spoke aloud. "Mallory? M, can you hear me?"

M spoke up. "What the bloody hell are you calling me for? Get down to the first floor and stop all the madness!"

Bond hesitated. "Sir, we must leave."

"Surely you're not taking the girl."

"We must. She's what they're after."

A pause. "Tell me what the _devil_ is going on."

Bond glanced at Lily, who was helping Q pack his gadgets and such into his satchel. Bond sighed and turned away, continuing to speak with M.

"We're leaving. It's the only way to keep her safe." he said, quietly.

"Bond, I understand you want to protect her, but we still don't know why they're-"

Bond removed the ear piece and tossed it to the ground. He slammed his foot on it, crushing it to pieces. He looked over to Q and rolled his eyes.

"Do you want to pack toast and jam? Hurry the _hell_ up! We have to go!" he demanded.

Q nodded and clutched his satchel. "Let's move! Follow me."

He ran ahead with Lily and James behind him. They rushed through a door and into an empty room with only a table and a chair. Q walked to a wall and placed his hand onto it. A beeping sound was heard and the wall opened to reveal a passage.

"Your idea?" Bond asked.

Q smirked. "Originally used it to get some alone time."

They rushed through and Q pressed a button on his watch. The door closed and everything went dark. Lily gasped when she felt someone take her hand.

"Stay close." Bond said, quietly.

"Over her, you lot." Q whispered.

He sounded close. They hurried and could hear more gunshots. Bond cringed at the screams and shooting, but pressed on. Finally, Q held out his arms and felt a wall.

"This is it. Stand back a bit." he whispered.

"I would if I could see." Bond replied.

 _Click!_

Another wall opened and they entered the first floor. It was quiet. They walked in and saw the horror awaiting them. Dead agents were everywhere and one single person stood above them.

"Honestly, I'd think you'd have used a better exit with your cleverness and training." Duplin said, adjusting the sleeve of his frock suit.

Bond held Lily's hand tightly and Q swallowed, nervously. Duplin rubbed his hands, like he was trying to warm them, and walked over the bodies.

"Lily, darling, it's wonderful to see you again." he said, warmly, holding out his arms.

She stared. "It's been a while."

"Bit of an age gap, don't you think?" Q asked, almost cringing.

"Long story." Lily replied.

Duplin chuckled. "We have time. I've always enjoyed stories."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Well, I'd be happy to tell you the ending."

She took out a gun from her coat and aimed it at Duplin. He held his hands up and froze.

"Now, let's all just...calm down. There's no need to be hasty." he said, calmly.

"You'd better leave before my arm gets tired." she spat.

"My men are upstairs killing anyone who gets in their way, while they look for _you_ , of course. So, I'd put that down for a moment and listen to what I have to say." Duplin replied.

Lily hesitated and lowered her gun.

"Now, I'll be brief. You come with me and with one word, my men will stop. Or, we can keep standing here and every second wasted will result in the death of another."

Bond kept his eyes on Duplin, but whispered to Lily, "You don't have to do this. They're trained agents and had a better warning than the ones down here. Don't do this."

"I have all night. There's only so many more people I can kill. You know me, my flower. Too well." Duplin said, smiling.

Lily trembled as she dropped her gun. It fell with a thud and Bond shut his eyes. Duplin held out his hand for her, like a man who is asking a woman to dance. She took a step forward but Bond grabbed her arm.

"Don't do this!" he insisted.

"I made my choice. I'm choosing this path. I chose it years ago, foolishly, now you choose yours." she said, staring into his eyes.

She pulled her arm away and walked towards Duplin. Q stared in disbelief as she took Duplin's hand. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to his chest. He reached into the frock and pulled out a small device.

Raising it to his lips, he said, "I have her. Come back down."

Q glanced at Bond, who seemed lost in his thoughts. He scoffed and bent down, picking up Lily's gun.

"Q, stop!" Lily cried.

"Let her go!" Q said, aiming the gun.

Duplin chuckled. "And, who is this?"

"I said, let her go! Get away from her." Q demanded.

Lily pulled Duplin's arm. "Let's go, he's no one. Please."

"No, no. I like him. Very brave to be standing up for someone he just met. Or are their other reasons for his sudden act of bravery?" Duplin asked.

Lily glanced at Q, who was clenching his jaw. "He's no one. I don't know him."

Duplin shrugged. "Then, there's no reaons...for me not to do _this_."

He clicked a button on the device he had spoke into earlier and the gun in Q's hand exploded. He screamed in pain and Lily watched in horror. Bond turned to Q as he cried in agony.

Duplin grabbed Lily's chin and forced her to look at him. "You feel nothing. He's no one. Isn't that what you said?"

Lily fought back tears. "He's no one."

Several man with rifles appeared and began to rush out of the building. Duplin cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair.

"Come, Lily. The night is young." he said, turning to leave.

Lily glanced at Q and Bond as they tried to aid his hand. Bond had removed his jacket and tied the sleeve around Q's hand to stop the bleeding.

Lily was close to tears. "I didn't mean-"

Duplin grabbed the back of her hair and brought her towards him. His nose pressed against her cheek and he inhaled.

His lips almost touching her cheel, he sneered, "When I say we 'go', we go. _Do_ you understand?"

He yanked her away and they left the building.

"We have to stop them." Q groaned.

"No. There's nothing we can do. They're armed and guns won't do anything." Bond said, sweating.

Q grimaced in disbelief. "What? Are you just going to let them _take_ her?"

"Following them will accomplish nothing."

"But, how are we going to know where-"

Bond held up a tracking device the size of a cellphone and showed it to Q. "I placed a small one on her hand. I'll follow them. You need to get to the hospital to get that hand of yours looked at."

"I'm coming with you." Q insisted.

"With a blown up hand?"

"You need me. I can't help you if I'm not by your side. This time is different." Q argued.

Bond and Q looked out as they heard a few tires screeching. "We leave as soon as you get your hand fixed."


	4. Bastian

"Why were you so concerned with finding Bond?"

Lily tried to keep a straight face. "I don't want to talk about Bond."

Duplin chuckled. "My flower, you were always terrible at keeping secrets. Tell me."

"I'm with _you_ now. Isn't that enough for you? Forget about Bond."

The van they were riding in had stopped and he stood up.

"We have arrived at the dock."

"Dock?"

Duplin held her hand and stood her up. "You always dreamed of the sea. Now, we can see as we head home together."

The back of the van opened and they stepped out and onto the dock. The water was pitch black but reflected the moon.

"It's beautiful." she mumbled, in awe.

"Come, let us board our vessel." he said, leading her to a large ship.

It was white and brightly lit and well guarded. There were men with rifles at every corner. They boarded and the ship slowly set sail.

He led her to a room with a bathroom, bed, and large window with a view of the back of the boat.

"Have a seat. This is our private quarters." Duplin said, pouring some Scotch into two glasses.

Lily sat on the bed. "I don't drink, Bastian. Have you already forgotten?"

He chuckled. "I just thought you'd need to be drunk in order to answer my question."

He sat beside her, sipping his alcohol and eyeing her. "Why did you go looking for Bond?"

She rolled her eyes. "Are you jealous?"

His stare hardened. "No. I know your heart is mine. And, mine belongs to you."

She smiled. "You knew that."

He put his drink down and moved closer to her. "I did. But, you needed a reminder. Why did you run away from me?"

She swallowed. "I just felt confined when I was with you. I had heard of Bond and...I thought a little adventure would do me good."

He smirked. "I'm going to find out why you searched for him, and when I do, I'm going to male him bleed."

She shot her eyes at him. "You will not touch him. He's not a threat to you."

He threw his glass to the floor, breaking it. "I will decide who is a threat and who isn't!"

Lily cringed with fear as he called himself. "This is why I left."

She stood from the bed and walked towards the window. "You and your drinking. Your temper."

She felt his arms wrap around her waist from behind. He gently shushed her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Forgive me. How could I forget what I did?"

"You were drunk and I was only nine years old. You think I don't remember?"

"No, my little darling. I know you do, please. Forgive me and let's start over."

"Then, stop talking about Bond."

She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And, let's talk about us."

He stared down at her, hungrily. "For now."

She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. "I'm tired."

"Get some sleep. I'll be on the deck for a bit."

They pulled away and he left the room. Lily covered her eyes and felt like crying. But, she walled towards the window and tried to open it. Of course it had been locked.

She got an idea when she spotted a vase. Quickly, she dumped the water and flowers out and took a deep breath. Then, she threw the the base at the window, breaking it.

Men started yelling and she knew her timer had begun. She took a few steps back and kept her eyes on the water. Without another thought, she ran through the room and out the window. Her body splashed into the water and she swam for dear life.

Small jets of water flew past her as several bullets streamed into the water. She went deeper to avoid them but one grazed her right shoulder.

Her scream was muffled by the water and she had no choice but to go up for air. She burst to the surface as she heard more goons yelling and firing.

"Stop!" Duplin ordered. "You'll kill her, you idiots!"

The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes and letting herself sink into the water.


	5. The Bargain

Lily awoke as she splashed to the surface. Her shoulder made her cringe from pain. Someone had hoisted her above the water. It was one Bastian's goons. She turned and the goon had his arm around her. Bastian stood at the edge of the ship and held his hand out to her and the goon.

"Bring her over!" he demanded.

They were only a few feet below him as he reached down for her.

Suddenly, the goon was shot instantly and Lily screamed as his corpse sunk into the dark water. They all looked and saw Bond aiming his gun from the speedboat that and Q rode in. Bastian chuckled and at that and reached down, grabbing Lily by her hair. She hissed from pain and had no choice but to hoist herself back onboard to loosen his grip.

He wrapped his arm around her neck. His goons aimed their weapons, but he told them to stand down. Bond kept his gun aimed at Bastian and Q kept a tense look on his face.

"I want those files in my hand by tomorrow night. I think that there was something that I wasn't supposed to see in those files if you were willing to stop my men from bringing them back to me." Bastian whispered in Lily's ear.

"How...did you-?" she gasped.

"Now, bring them back to me by tomorrow night. I'll be on the otherside of London by then." Bastian said.

"How the hell am I supposed to bring them to you if I don't know your exact location?" she asked.

Bastian smirked. "Arrive at the Tower Bridge by this same hour tomorrow night. Now, I would probably abandon ship."

Suddenly, Bastian gave his goons a nod and they aimed their guns at them. They both acted quickly and jumped into the water as Bastian's men fired at them. Lily struggled as they fired and managed to pull away from Bastian. She didn't get far as he dragged her towards him.

"You've got to stop them! You'll _hurt_ them!" she pleaded.

He grinned and forced his lips upon hers. She let out a muffled scream as he held her tightly.

Bastian chuckled and aimed his gun at her forehead She shut her eyes and held her breath. "I know you didn't want me to see those files because there's clearly some information you don't want me to see inside. Am I correct?"

Her heart was racing and she breathed heavily. "It's nothing. How do you even know I'm going to bring you the right files? You don't even know what they have inside of them."

Bastian smirked. "Because if you don't, I will personally kill those two. And all you'll be able to do is cry and beg me to show them mercy."

He gave her a quick peck on her cheek and tossed her into the water. Her body screamed as it fell into the cold water. Her teeth clenched as she burst to the surface. She grasped her shoulder as Bastian fired shots into the air.

Lily swam across the water, spotting Q and Bond. "Wait! Over here!"

Q heard her voice and swam towards her. He held her close and she cringed from the pain on her shoulder. "My shoulder. It's hurt, be careful."

"Bond! She's here!" Q called out.

Bond turned and swam towards them. "We've got to head back to shore! Come on, we can make it!"

And make it they did. They swam to shore and shivered from the icy water. Q held Lily close and wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm.

"We have to seek shelter. We can't go back to headquarters." Bond said, standing up.

Q stood up and helped Lily stand. He removed his small coat and placed it over her. She looked up at him and he chuckled with a shrug.

"It's not much since...it's wet, but it's something." he said, shyly.

She side-smiled. "It'll do fine."

They all walked through the dark and empty streets of London. Bond found them an empty factory where they managed to get a small fire going. Q sat beside Lily as they stayed by the fire to keep warm.

"Why did he throw you into the water?" Q asked.

Lily swallowed. "He didn't. I managed to jump into the water."

"I wonder why he didn't even try to get you back."

"I...it's a game he likes to play. That's what happened last time. He thinks that he'll let me go, and I'll run back to him. His mind is corrupt. It's a thing to do with his alcohol addiction."

Q shook his head. "Bloody fool. But, don't worry. You're safe. I... _we_ won't let him touch you again."

Lily smiled, trying not to cry. She rested her head on his chest and his eyes widened. Bright shades of red appeared on his cheeks and he held her close. Bond stood by, watching.

He approached them, slowly. "We're going to find Duplin tomorrow. Lily, you're going to stay-"

"With you." she cut in.

He grimaced. "After what happened tonight you-"

"I'm _staying_. Bastian has made his mark on me and i intend to get him back for it."

Bond hesitated but shrugged. "Your bloody funeral. We move first thing in the morning."

Lily stared at her father for a moment. He looked down at her and he felt like he had known her for years. Like he was never out of her life. Like he had always been there for her when she cried at night from the monsters in her closet or when he was supposed to come home from work. She gave him a small smile, a warm smile.

He gave her a side-smile and turned away to keep watch by the window. Lily lowered her eyes and leaned back onto Q's chest.


	6. Betrayal

The next morning, they left the building. Q cleaned his glasses on his shirt and put them back on.

"So, I have a question." he said, glancing at Bond.

Bond reloaded his gun and placed it inside his jacket. "You usually do."

Q raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "How are we supposed to get those files when you strictly said we can't go back to headquarters? And, another thing, how do you plan to get them? We can't just walk in since _you_ told off M the other night, and I seriously doubt he's going to welcome you with open arms. And, how are-"

"That's more than one question. In fact, _half_ of what you said weren't questions." Bond said, running a hand through his hair.

"We could always get Q to get the files." Lily shrugged.

Q grimaced and looked at Bond for support. "Me? But, why do I have to-"

"That's actually not a bad idea." Bond smirked.

"Wha-? You're both mad. That dip in the water last night must've gotten you sick." Q said, folding his arms.

"It makes sense that you do it. You've got all the gadgets, Q." Lily said with a shrug.

"That's my job, though. I'm just the one that gives _him_ the gadgets while _he_ breaks in and gets the job done." Q said, pointing at Bond.

Bond shrugged and chuckled. "Desperate times call-"

"Don't say it. Whatever. I'll do it, okay? But, I'm not going to like it and if I get caught, I'm blaming you, Bond." Q groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"So, how are we going to do it?" Lily asked.

Bond thought for a moment and got an idea. "It's going to be tricky and it might not even work."

"I know where they keep the files." Q said.

"But, that's not the tricky part." Bond said. "The tricky part is getting inside without being seen. After I spoke with M, he's probably got _your_ face on 'Wanted' posters by now."

"Then, why doesn't Lily do it?" Q asked, motioning his head at me. "He's only seen her once, and I'll bet a simple disguise won't get her caught."

Bond glanced at Lily and she shrugged. "Whatever gets those files."

Q blinked. "Wait, wait, what are we doing? We're actually _giving_ Duplin the files? I thought this was all some kind of joke."

"If we don't give him the files, he'll kill us." Lily replied.

Q rolled his eyes. "And, if we _do_ , he'll probably kill Bond and the agents in those files."

Bond grimaced. " _I'm_ on those files?"

Q's eyes widened and he covered his mouth with his hand.

"Q, answer me." Bond said, sternly.

With a sigh, Q shook his head. "Me and my big mouth. _Yes_ , Bond. You and a handful of other agents were on those files that Bastian tried to steal."

Bond stared at him and grabbed the collar of Q's shirt.

Lily gasped. "What are you doing?"

" _Quiet_. When were you going to tell me this?"

Q swallowed. "Look, M just told me not to tell you because...he wanted to find out before you did. He knew you'd react like this and want to take action before even telling him."

Bond sneered. "He knows _damn_ well I'd take action."

He released Q's shirt and exhaled sharply. Lily stared, scared that Bond might strike out of anger.

"So, Duplin wants those files because he wanted to find out more about me. And, it's your fault." Bond said, looking at Lily.

Lily grimaced. "Mine?"

"He said you were looking for me. That's why you left and _that's_ why he came here. He was looking for those files and for his precious little _Lily_." he spat.

Lily stood in silence as Bond approached her, angrily. "And, you knew that, didn't you _?_ You _knew_ he was trying to get those files of me."

"How could I know that?" Lily spat.

"Why else would you aim a gun at the car his men were driving in?"

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I...I knew he was here to get them. Okay? I had to stop him, but I didn't want to meet you that way."

Bond made a fake laugh and shook his head. "You insolent..."

"So what if I knew he was coming for the files?"

"You knew that and you drew all this attention to yourself, that's _what_."

He grabbed her by her shoulders and she held her breath as he leaned into her face. "Does he know? Does he know you're my child?"

Her lip trembled. "No. He doesn't."

"How do you know?"

"If he did, he wouldn't have let us go like he did." she replied, fearfully.

His face softened a bit, but he kept his grip on her. "This complicates things. Now, we can't just give him _any_ files. We have to give him the right ones, and you're going to get them."

She nodded as he let her go. His hand stroked her brown hair as he stared at her.

"We're going to need to dye your hair. You're going to walk into that building and Q will talk you through how to get them." he said, slowly.

Q cleared his throat. "Uh, how is she going to get in? She's going to need security clearance."

"She can use a fake ID. Make one out of mine." Bond said, glancing at Q.

"It's not that simple."

"Then, make it _simple_!" Bond barked.

Q hesitated and just nodded. Bond reached his hand up to his ear and removed his earpiece. He gently placed it in Lily's and kept his eyes gaze on her.

"You do what we say and this will end just fine." he said, quietly.

"So, you just plan to give him the files and walk away? It's not going to end like that." She said, impatiently.

Bond sighed and rubbed his temples. "I know that. I'm working on-"

"I already know how this will end. It's the only way and I know you can see it too." she replied, almost whispering.

Bond stared at her and shook his head. "No. No, I'm not-"

"It's the only way. I have to leave with him when we give him the files. I'll give him the bloody files and destroy them, the first chance I get."

Q shook his head. "He could _kill_ you. Are you mad?"

Lily lowered her eyes and slightly shrugged. "Not like it matters. I have nothing to live for. Bastian is the only man I've ever known and the only one whom I've spent a great deal of my life with."

Bond was hurt by this. He could see that she spoke with certainty and anger. Her eyes were filled with sincerity and tears. She blinked them away and shook her head.

"I know that's the way this is going to end. Then, you can continue living your life..without worrying about a child to care for." she said, coldly.

Bond shook his head. "I'm not going to let you do this."

"Yeah? Just get me ready and we can get this over with."

Q and Bond exchanged a glance. Q shook his head and waved his hand to show that Bond should drop it. He stepped away from Lily as Q approached her. He lifted her chin with his finger.

"Let's do something about that hair." he said, softly.

* * *

After several hours, Q managed to get Lily to a salon and get her hair done. They dyed it black and bought her extensions. With a pair of green contact lenses, she looked completely different.

"You look perfect. Come, we should head back." he said, offering his arm to her.

She slightly smiled and linked arms with him as they walked through town.

"You don't have to do it, you know. Bond can figure something out." Q suggested.

"This is the only way to get Bastian what he wants. All he wants is to know who Bond is and have me by his side."

"And, when he finds out?"

Lily bit her lip. "Then, Hell will break lose. He might try to use me to get to Bond in some way."

"But, why is he so concerned about Bond? What does he have against him?" Q asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lily sighed and lowered her eyes. "He's just...jealous. When I..."

She paused and shook her head. Q noticed and urged her to go on.

"It's too...horrible."

He nodded. "Right. I'm sorry."

They continued walking in silence. Lily stopped after a few minutes and Q looked down at her.

"He touched me. I was nine and he was drunk." she whispered.

Q swallowed and cleared his throat. "I...I-I'm sorry."

She shook her head and hugged herself. "It's nothing."

"It's everything." Q argued.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she tried to hide it with a smile. "I'm sorry."

He wiped her tears with his thumb and stroked her cheek. "It's alright."

"He's...jealous that I could ever love a man besides him. When I heard that I had a father who...was alive, I had to find him. I once asked Duplin if he could help me find him. He would do anything for me...except that."

Q listened and sat down on a bench. Lily sat beside him and sniffed, rubbing her nose.

"He threw a fit and I ran away. He found me and brought me back. It was then that he realized how much finding Bond meant to me. So, he decided to find him first. That's when I learned that he was going to steal those files on him. I hurried here to stop them and get them first."

"I would get the files and read them. Find out who my father is. Why he'd been gone all these years. Now, here I am, and I know next to nothing of him." she said, wiping more tears.

Q wrapped his arm around her as she continue crying. "I expect you're tired of hearing this, but I'm truly very sorry."

She shook her head. "No, don't be. Hearing you say it means the world to me."

He glanced down at her and she gave him a small smile. He stroked her cheek and leaned his head in to kiss her. They stayed that way for a moment until he pulled away.

"How can I do this to you?" she whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"I can't kiss you when I'll never see you again."

She stood up but he didn't follow her. She needed to be alone to gather her thoughts and calm down. She walked several feet from him, but he could still see her. When she turned into a small alley, he sighed and rubbed his temples.

She wiped her nose as she stood alone. Glancing up at the sky, she sighed and wiped her tears away. Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth and another wrapped around her neck.

She let out a sharp gasp as the person shushed her.

"There, there. It's only me, my darling."

 _Bastian..._

He turned her around, keeping his hand over her mouth. "Why do you shed tears? But, I suppose you can't help it, can you?"

He shoved her against the wall of a building, and she let out a muffled grunt.

"You look beautiful. Better than you normally do." he said, running his hand across her neck and stroking her black hair.

She stared at him in total horror and trembled.

"Did you _really_ think I wouldn't find out?" he sneered.

She stared at him, blankly. He gently removed his hand from her mouth. "What...what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about _you_ and that little wretch down at the park. Did it feel good when he kissed you? Did you feel like he actually cares for you?" he asked, mockingly.

She stared at him and raised her voice. "Q! Q, get ov-"

He clamped his hand back over her mouth as she let out muffled screams. "Shut up, you insolent brat. Now, _get_ me those files or else I kill that boy."

Her eyes filled with horror as he raised his hand to strike her. His hand slapped her across the face and she fell to the ground. She saw stars and slowly sat up.

"Lily?"

Q came running to her and helped her stand up. "It's alright. We should head back."

She nodded and covered her cheek with her hand. They headed back together with his arm around her. She rested her stinging cheek against him and wiped her nose.

* * *

When they arrived, Bond raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"She looks perfect. Well done, Q." he said.

Q shrugged. "I thought the extensions would do the trick."

Bond waved for them to come over to a small table he had in the middle of the building. A piece of paper was laid upon it with a small drawing Bond made.

"Alright, now pay attention, Lily. You're going to enter through here and present the ID that Q made. You gave it?"

Q nodded and took it out of his pocket. "Right here."

"Alright, you'll scan it on this machine here and it should read fine. You'll head in and go into the data room. Take it, Q."

Q cleared his throat. "So, you'll go in and see a black filing cabinet. open the third drawer from the top and you'll see a stack of papers. Underneath them is a manilla folder. That's where the files are. To open the drawer, you'll need this key."

He held Lily's hand and her cheeks blushed. He placed a small gold key into her hand and closed it.

"Be careful when you're doing it."

Bond looked at her and grimaced when he saw that her cheek was red. He reached out and touched it, causing her to flinch and step away.

"What is that?" he asked.

"What?"

He frowned and grabbed her chin, turning her face. " _This_ red mark. Where did you get it?"

She trembled. "I've...had it since last night."

"You're lying. You didn't have it last night." he said, frowning at her.

She pushed him away. "How would _you_ know? It was dark last night!"

Bond grabbed arm and twisted it behind her back. Q jumped and put his hand on Bond's arm. "What are you _doing_?"

"She saw Duplin today. He knows what we're up to." Bond replied.

Q grimaced. "How could she have seen him? She was with me all day."

Bond gave him a look. " _All_ day?"

Q thought about it for a moment. Then, he remembered her walking into that alley and how she had been sitting on the ground when he found her. How she was crying and holding her cheek. He glanced at Lily in disbelief.

"You met with him." he breathed.

Lily shook her head. "No. He found me there. I didn't know he-"

Bond twisted her arm even more and she cried out in pain. " _Stop_ lying!"

"I'm not lying! I swear that I never-"

"Q, get the ID and a taxi. You're going to have to get the files. By some miracle, you're going to have to do it without getting caught." Bond ordered.

Q was still in shock, but nodded. Bond grabbed Lily's other arm and pinned it behind her back as well. He leaned into her ear and spoke quietly.

"This was all just an act. That's why Duplin threw you into the water and let you go. He wanted _you_ to get those files. Well, change of plans, darling. He won't get them and you're not going anywhere."

Lily felt like crying as she hung her head. "Please. Please, just listen to me."

"Find us a cab, Q." Bond said, ignoring her.

Q stared at her with a look of anger, but also hurt. She looked at him, pleading a him with her eyes. He looked away and left the building. Bond dragged her across the room, and grabbed a chair.

" _Sit_ down."

He sat her into the chair and she remained, trembling. He grabbed a rope and she felt tears building up.

"Please, don't do this. I never met with Duplin. He approached _me._ You think he struck me in the face after we kissed and discussed how we were going to rule the world?"

Bond ignored her and walked behind the chair. She narrowed her eyes and stood from the chair. She turned to face him with her fists clenched.

"Sit down. _Now_." he said, sternly.

"No, you're not listening to me!" she cried.

He reached into his jacket, pulling out his gun. He aimed it at her and she gasped lightly. Tears fell from her eyes and she nodded.

"So, this is what you truly are. To aim a gun at your own daughter." she wept.

He gave her a cold stare. "Sit down."

"Just shoot me, why don't you? You'd be doing me a favor. I wouldn't have to see _you_ or Duplin again."

Gun aimed, he ignored her. She wiped her tears and shook her head. Slowly, she turned and sat back down in the chair. He tied her hands behind her and wrapped it around her torso.

She wasn't sure but she swore that she heard him sniff from crying. He grabbed an old rag and tied it over her mouth. Then, he stood in front of her. He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.

"Don't make any noise. We'll be back soon or if Duplin comes back, he can have you." he said, softly.

More and more tears came as she hung her head. He walked away from her and left her alone.


	7. Confronting the Truth

Q and Bond sat in silence as they rode in a can towards headquarters.

"You shouldn't have done it." Q spoke up.

Bond adjusted his sleeves. "I did what was necessary."

"Yeah? Well, what if you're wrong?"

"I'm not wrong."

"What if you are?"

Bond gave him a look and Q scoffed.

"You're amazing. You really are."

The taxi driver stopped when Bond asked and they climbed out. Bond looked at Q and nodded.

"Remember, be quick. If anything happens, contact me. Don't draw any attention to yourself. Just act like this is another day at work." Bond said, carefully.

"And you? You're just gonna stay out here and breathe?" Q asked.

Bond smirked. "I'm going to get in my own way."

Q rolled his eyes. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me given that you're being so vague. Well, here goes."

Q adjusted his glasses and ran a hand through his curly hair. With a deep breath and satchel in hand, he marched into headquarters. A few agents saw him and whispered amongst each other.

He walked into an elevator where two agents followed. When the doors closed, the agents drew their guns.

Q put his hands up. "Okay, okay. No need to act in violence."

He reached his hand to adjust his glasses and pressed a button on the left lens. Two small darts were shot at the agents and they fell unconscious. Q nodded and cleared his throat.

"Thought that'd come in handy."

The elevator opened and he stepped into a hall, leaden him to the data room. He took out a small device and placed it on the doorknob. A small click and the door was unlocked.

He stepped in and spotted the filing cabinet. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the small key. Suddenly, a gun was placed at his head and he froze.

"Oh, don't stop. Please, open the drawer." Bastian said.

Q swallowed as Bastian's goon pressed the gun against his head. He placed the key in the lock and turned it. The cabinet opened and Q saw the pile of papers.

He lifted them up and his heart stopped. The file was gone.

Bastian raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

Q swallowed. "The file. It's not here."

"Well, find it."

"It's supposed to be here and it's gone."

"Does it look I care where it is? Just find it."

Q turned and looked around his desk and inside the drawers. Nothing. Bastian folded his arms.

"I have no time for games. Where is the file and where is Lily?"

Q stuttered and Bastian grabbed his throat. "I swear...I don't know where-"

"Let the boy go, Duplin."

They all glanced around when they heard Bond's voice. Two of Bastian's goons aimed their rifles and scanned the room.

Bastian smiled. "Is that you, Bond? Why don't you join us?"

"Love to, but I'm afraid we're on a tight schedule, as it is."

"I'm assuming that you took the file ahead of time. Very clever, Bond. However..."

He gripped Q's throat tighter and grinned. "You risked the life of this poor boy."

"I have your bloody files, Duplin. I'll give them in exchange for the boy."

Duplin chuckled. "This isn't just about the files anymore, James. You know whom I desire, and I want her now."

Q swallowed and shut his eyes, ready for his goon to pull the trigger.

"She's not here." Q spat. "If you want her so bad, why did you let her go?"

Before Duplin could speak, his goons were all shot down. Bond entered the room with his gun in hand. Duplin got Q in a chokehold and took out a knife.

"You're very clever. I'm sure you know that, James. Funny thing about grandfather. He fought in many wars and often told me stories of the madness. One time, he watched one of his own men get killed with nothing but a small knife."

Bond kept his gun aimed as Q closed his eyes in fear. Duplin pulled out a small device and pressed a button. Bond's gun exploded and he cried from the burning of his flesh. Q struggled from his grip but he was helpless.

Duplin continued. "Brutal, it was. The enemy cut off each of his fingers. Right through the bone. Then, they broke the legs of my grandfather's companion. They abandoned him with no food or water. They only left him his fingers, saying, 'This is all you have to eat.' You might think he starved, but my grandfather said otherwise."

Q began to tremble as Duplin placed the knife at the side of his face.

"Give me the files and the girl. Or watch the boy die, slowly but surely." Duplin growled.

Bond stared at Duplin and started to laugh. Q stared blankly at him as Duplin began to laugh as well.

"She's safe and you'll never find her." Bond laughed.

A zapping sound was heard and Duplin collapsed with Q. M stood above them with a taser. Q whimpered as he pushed Duplin's body away and got to his feet.

He turned to Bond and began giving him small punches.

"You. Stupid. Ungrateful. Fool!" Q cried between punches.

Bond grabbed Q's wrists and said, "Stop it."

Q drew his hands back and glared. "You were planning this...and you didn't tell me. All that rubbish about Lily betraying us...that was all an act."

Bond stared at him. "Well, you definitely saved us some time by figuring it out on your own."

Q threw his hands in the air and groaned in frustration. "Well, don't expect a thank you from me. You could've got me killed!"

M chuckled. "Calm yourself, Q. We kept an eye on you the moment you walked into this building. Bond phoned me about you coming here and-"

"What? Y-You were in on this too? For the love of God, you're both insane!" Q yelled.

"Are you going to keep whining like a child or are you going to see Lily?" Bond asked.

"Don't think I'll ever forget this, Bond. I'm...Lily's...here?"

"A couple of agents picked her up from the warehouse after we left. She's in M's office and-"

Q dashed out the door as agents came in to take Duplin away. M glanced at Bond and tilted his head.

"I'll take it from here. You're more than welcome to see the girl."

Bond stood where he was and ran a hand through his hair with a deep sigh. "She won't understand."

"No, but she deserves to hear the explanation from her own father."

Bond nodded and gave M a curt nod. He left the data room an took an elevator to M's office. Two agents were guarding it and nodded to him when he approached. One opened the door and he stepped inside.

* * *

Lily and Q were seated on the sofa and looked over their shoulders when he came in. Q whispered in her ear and she nodded. He stood up and left the room without looking at Bond.

Lily folded her arms as Bond sat on the sofa with her. She shook her head and he could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were red and glossy.

"Look, what I did-"

"Save it. I know why you did what you did. That doesn't make it right."

He sighed and shook his head at her. "Well, what do you want? An apology for saving your life?"

She scoffed. "Saving my life? You could've told me what you were up to."

"It would've risked too much. It was better to get you out of the way-"

"No. Not like that."

He opened his mouth to argue but then closed it. She stared out the window and sighed.

"What will you do with him? With Bastian?" she asked.

"He'll be turned in to authorities. Then, we move on."

Lily nodded. "Yeah, I'll go back to living alone and you'll go back to saving the world as a secret agent."

Bond shrugged. "Basically."

She scoffed. "Well, good luck."

"Lily, I was kidding."

She looked at him and saw that his face was serious. She shook her head.

"I know I haven't been the best father, but this, you being here, is another chance for me. Let me help you start a life here in London."

He meant it. She stared at him with her green eyes and side-smiled. She threw her arms around him and caught him by surprise. He slowly wrapped his around her and held her tightly.

The door opened and M came in with Q. "Bond, we need you."

Bond nodded and stood up. "Is he contained?"

"Yes, he's ready for questioning. My dear, if you will follow me." M said to Lily.

She got up and followed M and Q as they left the room with Bond. They went into the basement and entered a dark room. Bond went through another door.

Duplin had his hands cuffed in front of him as he sat in front of a table. Bond sat at the other end and tested his elbows on the table.

Q, Lily, and M watched in another room behind a glass window. Lily held her breath as she watched.

"So, where would you like to begin?" Duplin asked, smiling.

"Let's talk about Lily. How did you meet her?" Bond asked.

"She was very young. I helped with the orphanage she was in, you see. I was a young man an she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen."

Lily's breathing got heavier. Q held her hand tightly and swallowed.

"She was fond of me. One night, I had a little too much to drink and...she came into my bedroom when she heard me yelling. I was drunk, you see. Wonderful night, it was."

Bond stared at him and continued with the questioning.

"How did you feel when she left you to find me?"

Duplin's face hardened and he replied, "Why did she need to find you?"

"That's not an answer."

"You know why and you won't tell me, Mr. Bond." Duplin's eyes began to fill with rage.

Lily felt herself tremble but Q kept holding her hand.

"You'd better tell me...or I'll hurt her. I'll make her bleed right in front of you."

Bond remained calm. "Answer the question."

"I'll kill her...I will kill her! Let me see her! She'll tell me!"

He was standing now. Lily glanced at M. "Please, don't make me go out there."

He shook his head. "Don't worry. Just calm down."

"Lily! I know you're watching us! You'd better get out here and-"

Bond lost his patience and struck Duplin in the face. He fell over and started laughing.

"I'll find out. I always get what I want."

Bond gritted his teeth and marched out of the room. Suddenly, Duplin got to his feet and approached the glass. He started banging his fists omit and yelling.

"Where are you? Lily! Lily, come out! Lily! You'd better tell me or I'll come in there and kill that boy and Bond."

She covered her ears and shut her eyes. Agents rushed in and dragged him away. Q pulled Lily into a hug and shushed her gently. M looked at Bond and sighed.

"You should get some rest. All of you."

Q took Lily to the safe house with Bond following them.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow it's almost been a week since I last updated...my bad. So, according to my knowledge, this story isn't even five chapters long yet...I think. I get caught up in writing and I usually can't find a good spot to cut the chapter. So, this chapter might be pretty long but I hope y'all like it either way. Way too excited for "Spectre" and curous as to how they're going to work with the new M, and the old one...I'm assuming it's about Judy Dench since I didn't see any Ralph Fiennes in the trailer...which sucks, but I'm pumped either way. Hope you liked this chapter and more to come...**


	8. Overcoming the Past

Lily and Q sat together in her room. Bond came in a few minutes later. He cleared his throat and assured them that Bastian was under tight security. He wished them a good evening and left the room.

"I should head back." Q said, after Bond left.

Lily looked up at him and nodded. "Okay."

He kissed the top of her head and left the room. She hugged herself and stared at her shoes. Bastian's blood-thirsty eyes remained in her head. As much as she tried, she couldn't get them out of her head. Standing, she walked out of her room and hurried to M's office.

M looked up from his desk when he heard the light knocking. "Come in."

Lily appeared at his door and he raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you, Miss Bond?"

She closed the door behind her and cleared her throat. "I just wanted to talk to you. About Bastian."

He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. "Please."

She sat down and fiddled with her hair inbetween her fingers and stared at him. "I...I beg you...kill Bastian."

M blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. Kill him, please. He's no use to you alive. Please."

She was shaking now. M sat up straight and grimaced at her words. "On the contrary, he's very much needed alive."

"Why? He's a maniac and he's only playing games with you. End this now and kill him."

"This isn't for you to decide. If you seek-"

"Do you want me to do it? Afraid to get your hands dirty or something?"

He began to lose his patience. "I suggest you get some rest. You've been through much and I think rest will help you-"

"You think I'm insane."

M looked up at her.

" _You're_ insane for not getting rid of this man. Fine. Don't kill him, but just send him away from this building. I can't stand it!"

M pressed a button underneath his desk and cleared his throat. "I'll ask you again, my dear. Leave and I can forget this request."

She slammed her hand on his desk, making him jump. "You're housing a maniac and you're just sitting here doing nothing."

Two agents entered the room and grabbed her by the arms. They dragged her out of the room and through the hallway. She struggled against them, calling out at M. Q removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes util he heard the yelling. He and Bond saw Lily being dragged away. Bond swore under his breath and approached them.

"Are you mental? What are you doing?"

"M ordered us to escort her back to her room."

Bond pulled Lily away from them as she started to cry. "I'll do it. Go."

Q watched as Bond brought Lily into the data room as she wiped her eyes. "You have to kill Bastian. Please!"

Bond grabbed her shoulder and stared into her eyes. "What's the matter? Tell me what's wrong, Lily."

"Go on. Tell us how to help you." Q said, gently.

She was shaking. "Get rid of Bastian."

Bond sat her down and he sat in front of her. "Tell me what's wrong."

After a few mintues of trembling and silence, Lily calmed down. She looked at her father and swallowed. "He's stuck inside my mind. Do you have any idea what he's done?"

"Tell us, Lily." Bond replied, almost whispering.

"He _touched_ me, alright? I was young when he was angry and drunk! He said he loved me and he was sorry afterwards and I foolishly gave in to save my own life and because I was afraid."

Bond pulled her into his arms and shushed her. "It's over now. You don't have to be afraid."

Q turned when he heard the data room's door open. M came inside and stood by the door. "I see she's calmed down."

"It's nothing. What is it, M?" Q asked.

"Duplin demands to see her and won't open up until she does. I think she needs to suck up her fear and see him."

Lily shook her head. "Never. You'll have to make me."

Bond tried to reason with M, but he wouldn't change his mind. "Convince her, Bond. She listens to you."

He left the room and they were alone again. Q shook his head, looking at Lily. "Don't do it."

Bond swallowed. "She has to."

Q grimaced and Lily looked up at Bond. "What?"

"Bastian won't talk unless he sees you. Please. We need you to do htis last thing for us, and you can go home." Bond pleaded.

Lily's eyes filled with tears. "You're doing it again."

Bond grimaced. "What?"

Lily pushed him away and she got up, walking towards the door. "You're putting your work before _me."_

Q looked at Bond as Lily left the room. "I'll talk to her."

Bond covered his face with his hands and sighed deeply. Q hurried after Lily as she entered the elevator.

"Lily, wait. I think Bond's right."

"Not you _too_."

He hesitated. "Once you talk to Bastian, we can get more out of him and _then,_ we get rid of him. I'll go with you. Right now."

She stared at the floor and then at him. "You'd do that?"

He nodded and adjusted his glasses. "I would. I _will_."

He slipped his hand into hers and smiled. She sighed and gave a curt nod. "Fine. But...I won't like it."

* * *

Q stood behind the layers of glass, watching as Lily sat in front of Bastian. His face was a bit bruised and his hands were handcuffed in front of him. He stared at the table, not meeting her eyes.

"Where should we begin?" she asked.

He said nothing.

"Would you like to start?"

Nothing.

She bit her lips and glanced at the glass. Bastian pointed his finger at her. "You. That's all I want right now. So, you can all your spy friends away or else you'll get nothing from me."

He gave her a sly smile and she swallowed. She touched her ear as Q spoke through an ear piece to her. "I can't leave you here with him alone."

Lily stood up and left the room to see Q. He stared at her, shaking his head. "We tried."

"Leave."

"What? Are you mad?"

"Do it, Q. If you don't, he won't talk to me."

"You can tell him I left. He can't even _see_ me."

Lily reached up and pulled the chord for the lamp, hanging bove them. The room lit up and Bastian turned to look at them. Lily folded her arms and gave Q a look.

"Please, go. You said you wanted to do this. Now, leave."

"I can't leave you alone with him."

"You'll have to."

He shook his head at her. She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the door. "Go. _Now_."

He pursed his lips. "Fine, but take this."

He handed her a gun and she placed it inside her coat. "Thanks."

With a final look at her, he left the room. She went back to Bastian. "I didn't think you had it in you, darling."

"Shut up and speak only when you're spoken to." she spat.

He raised both eyebrows. "Alright.

"You wanted Bond. You were jealous of him. I came to find him for my own reasons. You wanted those files to get his identity and threaten the other agents of whose files you also wanted to steal."

He nodded. "That sounds pretty accurate. Are you going to tell me why you went for Bond?"

"Not on your life."

He frowned and nodded. "I see. Then, you leave me with no other alternative."

Quickly, he got up and pushed the table towards her. She stumbled to the floor and he rushed to her. He wrapped his handcuffs around her neck, choking her.

"Tell me or you'll never see another day!"

She croaked and tried to call for help. Suddenly, the door from behind the glass burst open with Q and M. Bond was right behind them. He rushed into the room, aiming his gun at Duplin.

"Let go of her."

Duplin chuckled as he continued choking Lily. "Tell me why she searched for you or I'll just kill her."

Q's hands trembled as he tried to think of something. "Mother of God..."

Bond kept the gun aimed. "I'll tell you if you loosen your grip on her."

"Oh, no, Mr. Bond. _I'm_ making up the rules of this game. I'd hurry if I were you, she seems to be turning blue."

Lily croaked again as Bond stared at her. "Hang on."

Bastian shrugged and lifted Lily to her feet and dragging her towards Bond. Bastian's hand snaked into Lily's coat and pulled out the gun from her jacket. He aimed and fired at Bond's leg. He dropped his gun and yelled in agony.

He fell to the floor in pain. Lily screamed as Bastian placed the end of the gun at her cheek. "Tell me or I kill him right now."

Lily shut her eyes and breathed heavily. "Bastian...please."

"What did you say, darling?" he sneered in her ear.

She stuttered and said, "He's...my father."

Q's eyes widened and he looked at M. Bastian's jaw fell open and he laughed. "Well, this just got interesting. And here, I thought you loved him."

He kept the cuffs around her neck and dragged her out of the room. Q and M watched as he came into the room with her.

"You won't make it out of the building." M said.

Bastian laughed. "Who said I needed to get out of the building alive? What better way to make an exit...than with the on you love?"

He cocked his gun and aimed it at Lily's head. "You first, love."

Q shook his head. "No, you can't."

Bastian raised an eyebrow. "Can't I?"

Lily turned to face Bastian and breathed heavily. "Just do it. Please, just end it now. The two of us can be together forever. Do it now. Just no more violence towards them."

Bastian stared at her lips, hungrily. "You and I?"

Lily grabbed his face and shoved her lips onto his. Bastian shut his eyes and kissed her back. Q saw his opportunity. He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a pen. Quickly, he placed small ear lpugs into his ears and approached them, aiming his pen at Bastian. With a click, he placed the pen by Bastian's ear.

"Cover your ears, Lily!"

Lily obeyed as a sharp beeping noise sounded and Bastian's ears began to bleed. He gave a gurgled scream. M covered his ears as well. Bastian groaned aloud and stumbled to the floor with Lily. A gun was fired and a scream was heard. Bond made his way into the room by crawling. His leg was bleeding immensly.

His jaw hung open at the sight he saw. Lily's eyes were wide open. Q picked up Bastian's gun and shot him in the head. Lily put a hand to her hip and felt something warm and wet. Bond quickly crawled to her and Q bent down.

"Lily...look at me. Stay with me, alright?" Bond asked, as he held her face in her hands.

M removed his coat and Q used it to apply pressure to Lily's hip. "It's okay. It's okay."

Lily's wide eyes stared at the ceiling, in shock. "He..shot me."

"Lily, be quiet and relax. Stay with us, okay? Don't close your eyes." Q urged her.

M pressed a button on the counter and an alarm was sounded. Q lifted Lily into his scrawny arms and carried her out of the room. M helped Bond to his feet and assisted him by walking out of the room and following Q. Lily felt her vision blur and all she wanted to do was close her eyes and just forget.

"Don't go. Stay. Stay. You're okay." Q kept mumbling.

 _You're okay._

~x~


	9. Her Passing

Bond managed to make his way across the floor to Lily and Q. His leg was burning with pain as he moved, but he ignored it as best as he could. M knelt down and stared into Lily's eyes.

"Just breathe, alright? We're bringing help for you, love." M said, speaking calmly.

Bond stared down at Lily and breathed, heavily. He removed his jacket and handed it to Q. Q grabbed it and placed it over M's jacket, pressing down. Lily whimpered and hissed.

M swore under his breath and Q shushed Lily as she started to cry. Bond reached out and cupped the side of Lily's face. He stared into her eyes and she looked into his.

"This is my fault. All of it." Bond whispered.

Lily opened her mouth to argue, but he shook his head. "I'll hear nothing else. I never should've gotten you involved in all of this."

"I wanted to get involve." Lily said, weakly. "It was my choice."

"I shouldn't have done this. Lord, I'm going to kill you when this is all over." Bond scolded.

She smiled a bit. "You're finally acting like one."

He grimaced. "What?"

"Like a father."

* * *

Bond slept in a chair by Lily's bed. When the sunlight hit his face, he began to shift in his seat. He stood and step towards her bed. His warm hand was placed on hers, stroking it. Quietly, he sighed through his nose, and pulled his hand away.

He opened the door of the room, stepped out, and closed it. On the other side of the door, Bond spoke with the doctor. She was a small woman with dark brown hair and a medical mask over her face. Q was there as well, sitting in a chair. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes with a yawn.

"She's not awake yet." Bond informed the doctor quietly.

"She should be awake soon. Just give her some time." the doctor replied.

"I don't _have_ time." Bond snapped.

Q glanced up at them and Bond stormed off. The doctor blinked and cleared her throat. Q stood up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright. I'll talk to him," he said with a nod.

He hurried after Bond, hoping he could knock some sense into him. "Bond, that was uncalled for."

"Q, take one more step and I'll knock those hideous glasses off your face." Bond said, sternly.

"Get a hold of yourself. Lily's going to be fine. She's being taken care of."

"Did you not see how much blood she lost?"

Q lowered his eyes and bit his lip. He slowly approached Bond and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're the most stubborn man I've ever met. You're not easy egg to crack."

"What the _hell_ does that have to do with anything?"

Q shrugged. "I know Lily's got a bit of you in her. She'll make it, alright?"

They stared at each other for a moment and they seemed to come to some kind of agreement.

* * *

Bond did not receive the news well. He took a gun from his pocket and began to fire it at the glass walls in the waiting room. He was alone, but the sounds of broken glass filled the air. Several agents managed to bring him down and remove the gun from his possession. Q was there when it happened. He saw the anger in Bond's eyes.

Turning his head, Q watched as several agents moved Lily's body out of the hospital room. He removed his glasses and wiped a single tear from his eye. Running a hand through his hair, he shook his head, angrily. As he walked through headquarters, M asked for him to come to his office.

Obediently, Q arrived and sat in front of M's desk. M had his hands folded on the desk and he stared at Q. He was scanning him for some kind of reaction or emotion. To crack like Bond just did, but Q held his head high.

"You called for me, sir?" Q asked.

"Yes. How are you, Q?"

Q blinked. "Fantastic, sir. What do you need?"

"I want you to go see Bond. He's just gone mad, and I don't think any other agent could speak with him."

"What makes you think _I_ can knock him to his senses, sir?"

"Well, so far, you're the only agent he finds the least irritating."

Q raised his eyebrows at that. "I'll only speak to him for a moment."

He got up from his seat to speak with Bond. He was being held in the interrogation room. His hands were handcuffed in front of him as he sat in a chair. Q entered the room, looking to the side where the wall was made of glass. No doubt, M would be watching.

Q sat in the chair across from Bond and grimaced at the state of him. His eyes were cold and his skin was pale.

"What's going on, Mr. Bond?" Q asked.

Bond did not reply.

"You want to tell me why you're here?"

Nothing.

Q pursed his lips and sighed. "If she could only see you. How do you think she'd feel?"

Silence.

He rubbed his hands and shook his head. "I can tell you. She would probably think you're brilliant."

Bond grimaced. "What?"

"Yes, brilliant. A brilliant impression of an idiot."

Bond and Q made eye contact, then. Q furrowed his brow and sighed again. "Look at yourself. Is that what the great James Bond has become? Is this how your legacy ends?"

"I had no legacy."

" _You_ were the legacy! That's why Lily came here, you bloody idiot! She was in a dark part of the world, and when she thought she had no other reason to live, she heard about _you_!" Q snapped.

"So, she came here to find a knight in shining armor, did she?"

Q shook his head and spoke softly. "No. She came because you're her _father_. Not all mysteries can be solved through intense research or knowledge, James. Sometimes, all it takes is logic."

Bond said nothing more. Q stood up and left the room, leaving Bond wit nothing more than the words he had spoken.


	10. Realization

**A few weeks later...**

Bond and Q sat in a bar together. They sat on the balcony where Bond had first laid his eyes on Lily. His eyes watches the cars drive by and the people make their way across the street.

"It was down there were I first saw here." Bond said, pointing with his eyes.

Q glanced down. "Indeed?"

Bond side-smiled and took a sip from his beverage. "Still makes no sense to me."

Q grimaced. "What?"

"She died of a graze to the waist from a bullet."

"Loss of blood."

"I gave her some of mine."

"We'll never know, I suppose."

Bond shook his head. "I hate not knowing things. It's maddening and a bit dull."

Q chuckled. "You can't have all the answers."

"Why not? I think I'm clever enough to get the answers I seek."

"I'm sure you are."

"Shall we head back, then, Q?"

They stood up from their table and paid their bill. As they drove to headquarters, Bond kept Lily in his mind. They arrived and Bond decided to visit the hospital room where Lily spent her last few breaths. The window in the room gave a dull view of London. A few buildings were in the way so you couldn't see many of the trees or nicer buildings.

He heard voices and realized he had no authorization to be in the room. With a shrug, he didn't care if he got a scolding from M for it. He remained where he was until he heard something being discussed amongst the voices.

"The Bond girl, eh?"

James turned his head when he heard the voices coming towards the room. Quickly, he spotted a tall counter on the same wall as the door. He crouched down and hid next to it. The door to the room opened and two people stepped in.

"She died in here. Gave Bond himself a bit of a shock."

"Odd way to die, isn't it?"

"Just a scratch at the waist. Killed her within an hour."

"Blood loss, I imagine."

"That's the thing."

Bond raised an eyebrow.

"Bond gave her some of his blood. She should've been alright."

"Must've been the shock."

"Who can tell? Last thing I remember was feeling her pulse. Nothing. Her skin was cold and her eyes were wide open. She had a bit of droll coming out of her mouth. Bit nasty, really."

The voices trailed off as the two doctors left the room. Bond couldn't get to his feet. He sunk down and sat on the floor. His hands covered his head and he breathed heavily. Suddenly, his phone rang and he jumped.

He answered it, yelling, "For the love of _God_ , what is it?"

A pause. "Uh, it's Q. Where are you? I thought said you'd meet me in the lab."

"I just...I just had to take care of something. Can you just shut up for a minute?"

"You're in the hospital room, aren't you? For God's sake, do you know how much trouble you'll-"

Bond hung up and rested his arm on his knee. Quickly, he got up and hurried out of the room to find Q. He took two elevators and ran across several halls. Then, he burst into the lab, making Q jump.

"Jesus-!"

"Where is her body being held? Where is it?" Bond demanded.

"Who's? Lily's?" Q asked.

"No, your Aunt Fanny's!"

"She's being held upstairs. First door on your right." Q replied, with a frown.

Bond hurried up the stairs with Q behind him. "What exactly are you doing?"

Breathing aloud, Bond found the case with Lily's body. Q stuttered aloud.

"Uh, you shouldn't open-"

Bond opened it.

"Never mind." Q sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Talk to me, Lily." Bond whispered.

But, it was not Lily's body inside. There was nothing inside. Bond glanced at Q with a cold look.

"Where is it?" Bond demanded.

Q grimaced. "I swear it was there. I swear!"

Bond slammed his fist on the case and began pacing around the room. Q swallowed as he stared at him.

"Bastian." Bond whispered.

"What? He's dead. You think he stole her body?"

Bond paused and stared at the case. "Bastian's not dead."

"How do you know that? I shot him in the _head_!"

Rubbing his chin, Bond snapped his finger. "That wasn't the real Bastian. Don't you see?"

Q narrowed his eyebrows, trying to think. Bond groaned aloud and threw his hands in the air. "Why didn't I see it? Bastian would never make himself so visible to us! He'd never march in here without proper security or protection. I am such an _idiot_!"

"Alright, _that_ I can see." Q said, raising both eyebrows.

"Why would she be drooling if she already dead?" Bond asked.

Q grimaced and suddenly his eyes widened. "Y-Yes, she was drooling. When I heard the news, I hurried into the room and saw fresh saliva dripping from her mouth."

"How can a dead person drool?"

Q shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you're just getting too excited, Bond."

"If I am, then where is her body? Someone who was working for Bastian was in there and gave her some kind of drug to make her body still. It would keep her blood from flowing for a moment and that would make her skin go pale." Bond explained.

"But, who was it that drugged her?"

Bond closed his eyes trying to remember a face. Any face that he saw that day. He glanced at Q. "Who told you she was dead?"

"The doctor you yelled at that same day." Q said, shaking his head.

"Doctor." Bond repeated.

 _"She should be awake soon. Just give her some time." the doctor replied._

 _"I don't have time." Bond snapped._

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "That sick son of a-"

"What? What?" Q asked.

"She had on a medical mask. Why would she need one if they weren't opening her skin?" Bond asked.

"They took her blood."

"That was several minutes before and that woman wasn't even there when I gave Lily my blood."

"She was trying to hide her face." Q realized.

"They drugged her, and the body's gone. They have her." Bond nodded.

"Bastian."


End file.
